"Man Storms Amish School... 5 Girls Dead."
This is horrific.
Many who had been reading our blogs called us and expressed their concern about our Amish friends.
Yes folks, the killing of these young Amish school children in Pennsylvania hit me and Esther like a lightning bolt.
How could a peace-keeping, peace-loving and religious group of innocent school children get killed by a deranged, guilt-ridden man who is on a mission to exact revenge(?) on what he claims he did 20 years ago and will do it again? "Unbelievable & again, horrific."
When you click our blog archive, you will read at one point our first experience with (click) the Amish. It was in a funeral in Homer, Michigan. A young church Bishop died of cancer. Many came to share the grief. Amish came from far away Canada, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Indiana and Ohio.
We really do not know much about the Amish, but for some historical perspective, Esther and I often interview our friends. We learned that the ancestors of all of today's Amish originated in Switzerland in the early 1500s. Part of the Reformation, their core beliefs included adult baptism, nonresistance to aggression, and the complete separation of church and state.
Because these beliefs ran counter to majority views, ...misconceptions about them are common. the Amish, or Anabaptists as they were then called, were driven into the mountains where they adapted to an independent, farm-based way of life. As recently as 30 years ago, three-quarters of the American Amish were either farmers or retired farmers. As the population doubles every 20 years, the scarcity and cost of farmland has driven many into other jobs, such as woodworking, manufacturing or tourism.
Twenty-one states have Amish setttlements, but Ohio have the most. In fact, of the 100,000 Amish in the world (some claim 200,000), 40,000 live in the Buckeye state.
According to Joan Hershberger, "It is a closed soceity and it operates by different rules. The Amish average six children per family and about 80 percent stay within the church. If someone leaves the church, we say they 'jumped the fence.'" Those who leave the church must make do with an eigth-grade education, which would seem to be a deterrent to striking out on one's own.
Often this year, we visit the Amish community passing by the children on their way home from school. We smile and wave at them and they would return our waves and smiles. Their schools are located close to their farms. They are educated in one-room schoolhouses, from grade one up to the 8'th grade level.
The Amish clear away from the convenience of life. They believe in simplicity and avoid modern things like automobiles, electricity, computers, fancy clothes and most other modern conveniences. They are misunderstood, but they are law abiding citizens.
We feel the peace and quiet in their community. No police cars and no policeman. There is NO crime. Now, it seems there is no more a safe place.
This is unfortunate and terrible event in the Amish community. Tears are shed, hearts are grieved but we all know, these peaceful & loving people FORGIVE.
Note: The Amish believe pictures are a sign of vanity, we respect their views.
